MYSTERY
Throughout Eastertide we’ve seen the risen Christ appear to his disciple in moments of revelation and MYSTERY. We’ve also been listening to those parts of John’s Gospel where Jesus explains to the disciples who he really is.
He shares with them the nature of his relationship with his Father which is the foundation of who he truly is and of his ministry.
His explanations are moments of both revelation and of deepening MYSTERY. He repeatedly tells the disciples “I AM…” A phrase that both explains who he is, and recalls the God of the burning bush.
He explains to them the mysterious reality of his union with the Father, describing a deep union that we can only dimly grasp:
“I am in the Father and the Father is in me…”
Eastertide both reveals the risen Christ in the midst of our daily lives and shrouds him in mystery. It shows us his absolute humanness as he walks alongside his disciples, explaining the Scriptures, sharing food with them and even cooking and breakfast.
It also, as true revelation must, shows us the utter difference between our human experience and his divinity. In times like ours that want simple facts and easy truths it can be especially hard to hold those two truths in balance.
It’s tempting to tip over one way or the other, either focusing entirely on humanity of Jesus or on his divinity. Eastertide calls us to continually strive to acknowledge the tension and hold them in balance.
How is the mystery of the risen Christ touching your life this Eastertide?